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Ask Spurzheim； ask the doctors； ask Quetelet； if temperaments decide
nothing？ or if there be any…thing they do not decide？ Read the
description in medical books of the four temperaments； and you will
think you are reading your own thoughts which you had not yet told。
Find the part which black eyes； and which blue eyes； play severally
in the company。 How shall a man escape from his ancestors； or draw
off from his veins the black drop which he drew from his father's or
his mother's life？ It often appears in a family； as if all the
qualities of the progenitors were potted in several jars； some
ruling quality in each son or daughter of the house； and sometimes
the unmixed temperament； the rank unmitigated elixir； the family
vice； is drawn off in a separate individual； and the others are
proportionally relieved。 We sometimes see a change of expression in
our companion； and say； his father； or his mother； comes to the
windows of his eyes； and sometimes a remote relative。 In different
hours； a man represents each of several of his ancestors； as if there
were seven or eight of us rolled up in each man's skin； seven or
eight ancestors at least； and they constitute the variety of notes
for that new piece of music which his life is。 At the corner of the
street； you read the possibility of each passenger； in the facial
angle； in the complexion； in the depth of his eye。 His parentage
determines it。 Men are what their mothers made them。 You may as
well ask a loom which weaves huckaback； why it does not make
cashmere； as expect poetry from this engineer； or a chemical
discovery from that jobber。 Ask the digger in the ditch to explain
Newton's laws： the fine organs of his brain have been pinched by
overwork and squalid poverty from father to son； for a hundred years。
When each comes forth from his mother's womb； the gate of gifts
closes behind him。 Let him value his hands and feet； he has but one
pair。 So he has but one future； and that is already predetermined in
his lobes； and described in that little fatty face； pig…eye； and
squat form。 All the privilege and all the legislation of the world
cannot meddle or help to make a poet or a prince of him。
Jesus said； 〃When he looketh on her； he hath committed
adultery。〃 But he is an adulterer before he has yet looked on the
woman； by the superfluity of animal； and the defect of thought； in
his constitution。 Who meets him； or who meets her； in the street；
sees that they are ripe to be each other's victim。
In certain men； digestion and sex absorb the vital force； and
the stronger these are； the individual is so much weaker。 The more
of these drones perish； the better for the hive。 If； later； they
give birth to some superior individual； with force enough to add to
this animal a new aim； and a complete apparatus to work it out； all
the ancestors are gladly forgotten。 Most men and most women are
merely one couple more。 Now and then； one has a new cell or
camarilla opened in his brain； an architectural； a musical； or a
philological knack； some stray taste or talent for flowers； or
chemistry； or pigments； or story…telling； a good hand for drawing； a
good foot for dancing； an athletic frame for wide journeying； &c。
which skill nowise alters rank in the scale of nature； but serves to
pass the time； the life of sensation going on as before。 At last；
these hints and tendencies are fixed in one； or in a succession。
Each absorbs so much food and force； as to become itself a new
centre。 The new talent draws off so rapidly the vital force； that
not enough remains for the animal functions； hardly enough for
health； so that； in the second generation； if the like genius appear；
the health is visibly deteriorated； and the generative force
impaired。
People are born with the moral or with the material bias；
uterine brothers with this diverging destination： and I suppose； with
high magnifiers； Mr。 Frauenhofer or Dr。 Carpenter might come to
distinguish in the embryo at the fourth day； this is a Whig； and that
a Free…soiler。
It was a poetic attempt to lift this mountain of Fate； to
reconcile this despotism of race with liberty； which led the Hindoos
to say； 〃Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of
existence。〃 I find the coincidence of the extremes of eastern and
western speculation in the daring statement of Schelling； 〃there is
in every man a certain feeling； that he has been what he is from all
eternity； and by no means became such in time。〃 To say it less
sublimely； in the history of the individual is always an account
of his condition； and he knows himself to be a party to his present
estate。
A good deal of our politics is physiological。 Now and then； a
man of wealth in the heyday of youth adopts the tenet of broadest
freedom。 In England； there is always some man of wealth and large
connection planting himself； during all his years of health； on the
side of progress； who； as soon as he begins to die； checks his
forward play； calls in his troops； and becomes conservative。 All
conservatives are such from personal defects。 They have been
effeminated by position or nature； born halt and blind； through
luxury of their parents； and can only； like invalids； act on the
defensive。 But strong natures； backwoodsmen； New Hampshire giants；
Napoleons； Burkes； Broughams； Websters； Kossuths； are inevitable
patriots； until their life ebbs； and their defects and gout； palsy
and money； warp them。
The strongest idea incarnates itself in majorities and nations；
in the healthiest and strongest。 Probably； the election goes by
avoirdupois weight； and； if you could weigh bodily the tonnage of any
hundred of the Whig and the Democratic party in a town； on the
Dearborn balance； as they passed the hayscales； you could predict
with certainty which party would carry it。 On the whole； it would be
rather the speediest way of deciding the vote； to put the selectmen
or the mayor and aldermen at the hayscales。
In science； we have to consider two things： power and
circumstance。 All we know of the egg； from each successive
discovery； is； _another vesicle_； and if； after five hundred years；
you get a better observer； or a better glass； he finds within the
last observed another。 In vegetable and animal tissue； it is just
alike； and all that the primary power or spasm operates； is； still；
vesicles； vesicles。 Yes； but the tyrannical Circumstance！ A
vesicle in new circumstances； a vesicle lodged in darkness； Oken
thought； became animal； in light； a plant。 Lodged in the parent
animal； it suffers changes； which end in unsheathing miraculous
capability in the unaltered vesicle； and it unlocks itself to fish；
bird； or quadruped； head and foot； eye and claw。 The Circumstance is
Nature。 Nature is； what you may do。 There is much you may not。 We
have two things； the circumstance； and the life。 Once we thought；
positive power was all。 Now we learn； that negative power； or
circumstance； is half。 Nature is the tyrannous circumstance； the
thick skull； the sheathed snake； the ponderous； rock…like jaw；
necessitated activity； violent direction； the conditions of a tool；
like the locomotive； strong enough on its track； but which can do
nothing but mischief off of it； or skates； which are wings on the
ice； but fetters on the ground。
The book of Nature is the book of Fate。 She turns the gigantic
pages； leaf after leaf； never returning one。 One leaf she lays
down； a floor of granite； then a thousand ages； and a bed of slate； a
thousand ages； and a measure of coal； a thousand ages； and a layer of
marl and mud： vegetable forms appear； her first misshapen animals；
zoophyte； trilobium； fish； then； saurians； rude forms； in which
she has only blocked her future statue； concealing under these
unwieldly monsters the fine type of her coming king。 The face of the
planet cools and dries； the races meliorate； and man is born。 But
when a race has lived its term； it comes no more again。
The population of the world is a conditional population not the
best； but the best that could live now； and the scale of tribes； and
the steadiness with which victory adheres to one tribe； and defeat to
another； is as uniform as the superposition of strata。 We know in
history what weight belongs to race。 We see the English； French； and
Germans planting themselves on every shore and market of America and
Australia； and monopolizing the commerce of these countries。 We like
the nervous and victorious habit of our own branch of the family。 We
follow the step of the Jew； of the Indian； of the Negro。 We see how
much will has been expended to extinguish the Jew； in vain。 Look at
the unpalatable conclusions of Knox； in his 〃Fragment of Races；〃 a
rash and unsatisfactory writer； but charged with pungent and
unforgetable truths。 〃Nature r